Maybe Love Exists
by WaigeForever
Summary: Just a take on what I wished happened starting from the end of 'Charades'
1. Chapter 1

_**Loved the ending of 'Charades' and "Forget-Me-Nots', so thought I'd write my version of what I wished happened after the episodes ended. **_

_So pretty nuts, a trained spy gets caught because of love. Silly, huh?_

_The notion of romantic love is a fairytale. The thought that people can be affected in some meaningful way by the affection of others is – the kiss, touch, the uhh… Whatever. Its junk science. It's not even that._

_Yeah. Like I said. Silly._

_Okay. As my mother used to say, sweet dreams. Oh Paige, can you umm record a new outgoing message on the machine?_

_Sure, why?_

_Nothing, just realized recently what a nice voice you have. Okay… see you tomorrow._

Paige watched as Walter walked out of the garage with a smile on her face. Just when she thought that he couldn't surprise her any more, he managed to show the most significant EQ breakthrough she had seen since she met him.

"Maybe there's a chance," Paige murmured to herself. She got up and stretched before walking over to the answering machine. She grinned as she pressed the record button.

Walter's POV

As soon as Walter walked out of the garage and to his car, the fake smile he wore on his face slipped. He wasn't going to the UCLA Research Lab. He was going to do research, just not on a topic that required their facilities. The papers and files in his bag were about a completely different project; one that he had been secretly working on in the past few weeks. Walter leaned back in his car seat and sighed.

When Paige first joined Scorpion, he thought the he liked her because she was a parent of a genius that hadn't given up on her son. He saw the potential she had and knew that she would be an asset to the team. But as he got to know her more, he found out that not only did she help the team, but she also helped him become a better person. And then there was the undercover operation they had, which really threw him off track. Dancing with Paige, holding her close in his arms, he felt this pull towards her; like she was a magnet that he couldn't help but be attracted to. He found himself enjoying dancing, something he could've sworn he hated with a passion.

Ever since that night, he collected research about Paige, his thoughts on her, anything that could even remotely be used to help him understand what he was feeling.

Walter opened his eyes and sighed again. He needed to leave the garage soon before Paige finished up and saw him sitting in his car outside. He revved up the engine and started driving towards the beach. After going there with Megan, Walter realized what a peaceful place it was and it gave him the opportunity to think about everything going on. Whatever happened during today's mission needed to be sorted out in his mind. Walter needed answers and he needed them fast.

Paige's POV

Paige ran her fingers through Ralph's hair and kissed him on the forehead after she tucked him into bed. She went to her room, changed into her pajamas and got into her bed. Try as she might though, she couldn't go to sleep. One, she was afraid that she was going to have another dream about Walter, and two she couldn't stop thinking about what Toby told her.

Ralph was the most important thing in her life and so was Scorpion. Scorpion was the place where her son was able to grow as an individual and achieve the stability that she craved for him to have. She promised herself the day he was born that whatever decisions she made in life, it would be for her son.

With a newfound resolve, Paige turned onto her side and sighed. Whatever thoughts or feelings she had for Walter needed to be set aside and locked away. She didn't want to jeopardize her son's future for what was probably just a crush.

"Besides," she muttered. "He doesn't even believe in love. By the time he understands, I will have driven myself crazy with lack of sleep in fear of having dreams about him."

Paige took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was going to get the sleep she deserved. Her only hope was that her dreams tonight wouldn't involve a certain curly haired genius. She really didn't want to be cranky in the morning again.

Walter's POV

Walter settled down on the hood his car and stared out to the sea. He would never admit it out loud, but today's mission was his toughest yet. He was okay trying to bring down planes in LAX and even get military software from Bosnia, but he couldn't even begin to fathom how uncomfortable he was trying to flirt with Sima/Fatima.

The only thing that got him through the whole night was hearing Paige's melodious voice float in his ear, feeding him instructions on how to act and what to say. Walter took a deep breath and stared up at the sky. The night sky was easy to understand. He could name all the important stars, he knew their position in the night sky and he knew exactly when in the year he could see them. Facts like that comforted him. Facts had certainty to them; unlike people or emotions.

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy Paige's voice in his ear. If he was to be completely honest, the whole time he was flirting with Sima, Walter was imagining it to be Paige in front of him. When Sima put her hand on his leg in the bar, he froze. But as soon as he heard Paige's voice telling him not to freeze, he immediately pictured that it was Paige who had he hand on his thigh. While he was clumsy in reciprocating the touch (hey he wasn't used to being touched like that), he found it a lot easier to relax while imagining the touch to be Paige's.

But love didn't exist! Isn't that what he just told Paige back at the garage? Her voice, her touches, her fake flirting; it shouldn't affect him and yet it did! He groaned in frustration and stuffed the papers back in his bag. Maybe this wasn't a question that could be answered with research and facts.

"What would Paige do?" he muttered. Lately that had been his guide whenever he had to interact with normal people or try to figure out what they were feeling. He found it easier to blend into to the normal environment if he emulated Paige. Walter closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He searched his mind, going back to the moment he met Paige and up until the moment he left the garage an hour ago. His mind flitted through the memories he had of her.

_Paige chastising them in the diner for their language._

_The way she fearlessly drove her car through the streets of LA and was nearly hanging off a plane._

_How she managed to fit in seamlessly with the team_

_Stargazing on the roof with her and Ralph_

_The way he held her close during the dance and how she laughed at his attempt at a joke_

_Her melodious voice when he heard her sing for the first time_

_The anger he felt whenever he saw her interact with Drew_

_Him admitting to her how much he loved the sound of her voice in his ear. Imagining that it was Paige that was straddled on his lap and kissing him._

Walter opened his eyes suddenly and ran his fingers through his hair. "Maybe love does exist," he muttered.

The sun was starting to rise by the time Walter got back home. He quietly went inside and trudged up the stairs to his loft. He had finally gotten somewhere with his research, but he wasn't sure if his findings would help him resolve his issues in any way. If anything, Walter was more confused with his answer and he wished for the first time in his life that he had a high EQ and was able to connect with normal people easily. For now he had to keep these findings to himself. Now was not the time to be telling Paige how he felt about her.


	2. Chapter 2

(Fast forward to the end of Forget-Me-Nots)

"_I know I said being human wasn't something I wanted, but since I met your son, I know that's not entirely true. These last few months, I've been less me. And that's made me a better person. So, no, I don't want him to leave. I, uh care about him. And you. Those are the last facts that I have to say. So yeah, okay…"_

_Walter? _

_Yeah?_

_I'd miss you too. _

Walter's POV

Walter was working on the engine of Ralph's science project, but he wasn't completely focused on it. He kept replaying the scene that happened moments ago. He hoped Paige would understand that he didn't want her and Ralph to leave him. He thought that he did the best he could in expressing his feelings, but he knew that the ultimate decision was Paige's. He didn't know what he would do if Paige decided to leave to Portland with Drew. Not only would he be unable to see Ralph, he wouldn't be able to tell Paige how he really felt about her.

Paige's POV

Paige stood at her desk holding Ralph's science fair trophy. She was still amazed that he not only won the science fair, but also was able to make a new friend outside of Scorpion. She quickly wiped away the tears that were starting to form. Her son was finally learning to interact with others and he was making friends. And it was all thanks to Scorpion. How could she leave the one place where she finally felt like her and her son belonged?

Then there was Walter. She smiled when she thought of his confession a few moments ago. After listening to meaningless facts from both him and Happy earlier that day, she finally got the response she was craving for. All she wanted to hear from anyone in the team was that they would miss her and Ralph if they moved to Portland. Paige knew what answer she wanted to give Drew now. But first, there was a certain genius she needed to go thank.

Walter's POV

Walter was listening to Ralph talk about the science fair when he felt Paige's presence.

"Walter?" she said. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second."

Walter looked down at Ralph before looking back at Paige. "Uhh. Sure. Hey Ralph. Why don't you go and tell the others about the science fair? I'm sure they would love to see your trophy."

Ralph ran over to the workstations while Walter straightened up and turned towards Paige.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything," she began. She walked slowly towards him and continued talking. Walter began to get nervous, seeing her come closer. "It means a lot that you took the time to help Ralph with his project. I am so proud of him. And you."

Walter looked up into Paige's eyes when she said the last part.

"Me?" he asked nervously.

Paige giggled softly and continued. "Yes, you. All of today I was conflicted with what Drew said and all I got from you and Happy was that it was cold in Portland. But today, after everything that's happened, I'm so happy that you finally were able to open up to me. Your EQ has really improved since when I first met you. And for that, I'm very proud of you."

By this time, Paige was directly standing in front of Walter. He was at his peak of nervousness and he knew if he tried talking, all that would come out would be stuttering. So instead, he nodded his head and gave her a smile. "Thanks," he whispered.

Paige gave a small smirk. "Now I know you don't like physical contact, but I have to do this," Paige said.

With that she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her until they were hugging. Walter stood there in shock, his brain going into overdrive. Then he decided to just let go and not think too much for once. He closed his eyes and slowly felt his arms wrap around Paige's torso as she pulled her in tighter. His face nuzzled her hair and he could've sworn he heard her give a soft sigh.

They stood like that for a few minutes before Walter felt Paige start moving away from him. Reluctantly he loosened his grip and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Paige looked at him with an expression he couldn't decipher and she smiled and walked quickly out of the room.

Paige's POV

As soon as she heard Walter say thanks so shyly, she felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him senseless. But she restrained herself and decided to settle for a hug. After warning Walter, she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. She wasn't expecting him to reciprocate. After all, she had seen him hug before and it was like he was in a leper colony.

She was pleasantly surprised when she felt Walter's arms come up and wrap themselves around her. Her surprise turned into shock when she felt him pull her even closer and nuzzle her hair. She let out an involuntary sigh and let herself enjoy the moment. After a few minutes, she became aware that they were still holding each other and she decided to pull away before it got too awkward.

All the feelings Paige suppressed about Walter came simmering back up to the surface as she stared at him. Before she did something she would regret, she smiled and quickly turned away and walked out of the room.

_Author's Note: Please review! Also I would love your ideas on where to go further with this story. Thanks for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for the reviews! I thought I would one more chapter while waiting for Monday's episode. Thanks WriterFreak001 and Lighting's Halo for the ideas! _

"_I need you Paige," Walter whispered in her ear._

"_Oh Walter," Paige breathed._

"_Hmmm."_

"Walter… WALTER!"

"Huh?! What?" Walter awoke with a start to see Sylvester standing near him looking concerned. Walter had dozed off at his desk in the loft and was having such a pleasant dream before being rudely interrupted by Sylvester.

"What is it Sly?" Walter asked, gritting his teeth.

"You were mumbling in your sleep, I thought you were having a nightmare." Sylvester said nervously.

"No. Not a nightmare. Umm… What do you need?" Walter asked.

"I was going to take Ralph to the space museum today. We were wondering if you wanted to join us," Sylvester said excitedly.

"Is Paige coming with you too?" Walter asked.

"No, she said she has some work to do here. She's actually downstairs right now with Ralph."

Walter sat up in his chair when he heard this. He quickly ran through in his head where everyone was now. Happy was with her dad at his workshop, Cabe was probably at Homeland, Toby was gone for the day for some convention and now Sly and Ralph would be at the museum. This meant that it would just be him and Paige in the garage. Ever since that night he and Paige hugged, she had been a little awkward around him. He would catch her staring at him and then quickly looking away when he caught her. He really wanted to talk to her and sort everything out and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"You know what buddy?" Walter said with a grin. "I got some work to do here with Cabe Jr. You go ahead with Ralph and have fun."

"Okay!" Sylvester said excitedly. He grinned and skipped down the stairs. Walter straightened his tie, ran his fingers through his hair and walked downstairs to the garage.

He saw Ralph and Sylvester by the door listening to Paige give them instructions. Her back was turned to him so she hadn't seen him come down. Soon Ralph and Sylvester left leaving just him and Paige alone in the garage.

"Hey," Walter said quietly.

Paige turned around shocked and blushed slightly. "Oh… hi Walter. Didn't hear you come downstairs."

"So, you didn't want to go to the museum?" asked Walter walking towards her.

"N..Noo. I have some paperwork to finish off still," Paige said flustered. She didn't understand why she was nervous, but with the look Walter was giving as he walked towards her, she felt apprehensive. Ever since that night where they hugged, she had a hard time getting him out of her mind.

"Paige, I was thinking…" Walter started.

"Paige?"

Paige turned around and saw Drew standing by the entrance. Walter immediately stiffened and the smile slipped off his face.

"Paige, I was wondering if I could have word with you." Drew asked.

"What? Oh yeah, sure. Umm.. Let's go outside for a minute." Paige said. The two stepped outside, leaving Walter standing there with a hard look on his face. He turned on his heel and stomped back up to the loft.

Paige's POV

As soon as Drew walked into the garage, Paige felt a whole new level of anxious. She was firm in her decision to stay in LA, but she wasn't sure how Drew was going to take it. Also, she didn't want to talk to him in front of Walter in case Drew said anything against Scorpion. She knew that her decision was what was best for Ralph and that he would be happier staying in LA.

She thought back to the conversation she had with Ralph two nights ago that gave her the assurance that staying in LA was best for Ralph.

"_Sweetie, it's time for dinner," Paige called._

_Ralph came in and sat down at the dinner table and started eating his food._

"_Honey, I need to talk to you about something important," Paige started. Ralph looked up from his plate and nodded_._ "Your da.. Drew, got a tryout for a minor league team in Portland. He's really excited and he thinks he's got a real shot. Now sweetie, he's asked us if we want to go with him. I just want you to know that you are old enough to have a say in what happens. Mommy wants you to be happy. I know we're both happy here with Scorpion, but if you feel like you'll be happier if it's us and Drew, then I understand."_

_Paige waited with bated breath for Ralph's response. Ralph looked thoughtfully at his mom and continued chewing. Once he swallowed, he looked into his mom's eyes and said, "It's cold and wet in Portland. I wouldn't like it there."_

_Paige chuckled at his revelation. Her little genius was becoming more and more like Walter by the day. _

"_I know sweetie," she said with a smile. "But would you be okay with your Drew leaving again?"_

"_He's already left us once," Ralph said. Paige's heart broke a little at hearing those words from her nine year old. "But," he continued. "He'll be happier over there playing baseball and we'll be happier here at Scorpion. Besides, we can always visit him during vacation time."_

_Paige smiled gratefully at her son. "Okay sweetie. I love you Ralph."_

"_I'm done with dinner. May I go do my homework now?" Ralph said._

"_Sure honey," Paige said._

_Ralph got up from the table, walked around and gave a surprised Paige a hug. She had never seen Ralph initiate contact before. She smiled and thanked the heavens for the day Scorpion came into the diner._

Drew took the news better than she had expected. It seemed as though he knew that this would be her decision. They talked for a bit more, figuring out his schedule to take Ralph for the next few weeks and making promises for future Portland visits. Paige then gave Drew a hug and wished him the best. As she was walking back into the garage and to her desk, she heard a crash of pottery breaking upstairs in the loft. With a sigh, she changed directions and started walking towards the stairs.

Walter's POV

As soon as Paige and Drew went outside to talk, Walter stomped upstairs to the loft. He started pacing back and forth. He wanted to know what was going on outside, but he didn't want to be caught eavesdropping. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to clear his mind. A trick Paige had taught him to control his temper. As soon as he thought of Paige again though, his mind shifted to Drew and whatever he was possibly telling Paige and he felt his anger flare up.

The thought of Paige and Ralph leaving frightened him and he found himself gripping his coffee mug tightly. While he wasn't sure of the exact probability, he knew there was a high chance of Paige and Drew getting back together if they moved away and started anew.

He couldn't bear the thought of Drew and Paige being a family again and he slammed the cup against his desk.

Paige sighed as she surveyed the scene. Walter was standing rigidly while holding his bleeding hand. She shook her head and went over to the where the first aid box was kept. Walter kept quiet as he saw her moving around the fragments to where he was standing. She led him over to the kitchen island and sat him down on the stool and started rummaging through the kit.

He watched as she gently wiped away the blood and applied the bandages. She then stepped over to his desk with a broom and pail and started sweeping away the broken fragments. Once she finished, she went back to the island and sat down across from him.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" she asked dubiously.

"It was nothing. Just releasing some pent up frustrations regarding my MS research. I'm fine now," he lied.

Paige narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he wasn't telling the truth, but she decided to let it slide for now. She had a feeling it had something to do with Drew coming to the garage, and she didn't want to have a fight with Walter about her parenting choices again.

"You'll figure it out," she said instead. "I believe in you."

Walter looked up into her eyes. All his life he had people trust his intelligence and his ability to solve any problem. But no one, other than his sister had ever said that they believed in him.

"On another note," Paige continued. "I just wanted to let you know that Ralph will be coming to the garage a little less for the next two weeks. With Drew leaving, he wanted to spend some quality time with him, so I've arranged for Drew to pick Ralph up from school occasionally and hang out with him. Also, he'll be with him all of next weekend."

Walter looked at Paige with wide eyes. She had just said that Drew was leaving. Not her and Ralph. Before he could help himself, a smile crept on to his face.

Paige noticed Walter's smile at the realization that she and Ralph weren't leaving and she couldn't help but grin back. Before she could say anything further, Walter stood up, walked around the island to where she was sitting and gave her a tentative, but very real hug. He quickly let go and stared at the floor.

"I'm pleased you made a practical decision, taking into consideration all the variables," he began. Then his voice softened and he said, "Scorpion wouldn't be able to function without you and Ralph."

Paige just nodded mutely and blushed. Her mind was still reeling from the hug and his little confession. The feelings that she kept locked away threatened to break out, so to save herself from any embarrassment, she just smiled at him, said thanks, and excused herself.

Walter stared at her retreating form as he replayed what went over in the past few minutes. He shook his head and smiled, retreating to his desk. Now he had more time to plan out exactly what he needed to do to let Paige know how he felt about her. He remembered her saying that next weekend Ralph would be with Drew. He checked his calendar and saw that it was Valentine's Day on Saturday. He didn't believe in such a foolish holiday, but he knew that Paige valued such meaningless sentiments. A plan quickly formed in his mind.

"I think it's time to schedule a one-on-one business meeting dinner with Scorpion's liaison to discuss office data entry protocols this weekend," he muttered with a smirk.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Warning: Spoilers from 'Love Boat' in this chapter. Don't read ahead if you haven't seen the episode yet!**_

Walter woke up to the smell of something good being cooked. He sniffed the air and his mouth watered at the aromatic smells coming from downstairs. He had gone to bed really late last night after working on the rocket for hours. It was the only way he could keep his mind off the fact that he cancelled dinner with Paige for tonight. He really hated himself for doing that, but his ex-girlfriend was right. He needed to take this slow and really connect with Paige. She was an incredible asset to the team and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.

He yawned and rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. He decided to go downstairs and see what was being cooked. It was probably Toby anyways. He liked to cook when he had the time claiming that cooking with his mom was one of the few good memories he had of his childhood. Not bothering to look presentable, Walter trudged downstairs in his pajama bottoms and t-shirt. However, he stopped short when he entered the kitchen.

Paige was standing by the stove with her back to him humming while stirring something in a pot.

"She looks beautiful," Walter thought. She was wearing a red sundress, with her hair in loose waves around her shoulder. He painfully realized how he must look right now in PJ's and hair all rumpled from sleep.

Suddenly she turned around. "Oh Walter!" she gasped. "You scared me!"

"What are you doing here?" he asked bewildered. "I thought I told you to take the weekend off."

Paige gave a smirk. "Well, I am taking the weekend off Walt. I just decided to spend the day here instead of being alone in my apartment. Ralph is with Drew for the weekend, remember?"

Walter just stood there staring at her. When he told her to take the weekend off, he thought she'd spend time relaxing at home or shopping or doing something for her. Instead she was here in front of him, spending Valentine's Day in the garage.

"Helloo? Earth to Walter?" Paige asked waving her hand around to get his attention.

Walter cleared his throat. "Yeah, well I wasn't expecting to see you until Monday, so yeah… it was a shock that's all."

Paige's eyes softened. "I never got the chance to properly thank you for what you did on the cruise ship Walter. That was incredibly brave of you and you saved my life more than once. Consider this lunch my way of saying thanks." Plus," she said with a wicked grin. "We can use this lunch as our opportunity to discuss the office data entry protocols, since dinner had to be cancelled."

Walter gulped and looked away. He didn't like the smirk Paige was giving him. It was almost as if she knew his ulterior motive with the dinner. "I uhh… umm.. yyeah.. sure…" he croaked. He cleared his throat and continued. "I'll just go get changed."

**Paige's POV**

Paige watched as Walter practically bolted up the stairs. She giggled and continued stirring the stew.

When Walter first told her about the dinner, she was shocked at the date he chose. She never thought Walter O'Brien of all people would be taking her out to dinner on Valentine's Day. Even if it was just to discuss work. But when he started detailing the agenda of what he wanted to discuss, she sighed and agreed to it. This was strictly professional and Walter probably didn't even realize the significance of the date. He would probably spout out facts about how it was just a commercial gimmick and nonsensical holiday if she asked.

That's what she thought, until yesterday. When Walter took her place as a hostage in the cruise ship, her heart almost stopped. She saw the way he looked at her even as the lifeboat was being moved down to the water. And while she didn't want to get her hopes up about his possible feelings, she was still touched that he cared enough about her to ensure her safety above his.

When he cancelled dinner, she was crushed, but she knew that there was something going on with him that he wasn't opening up to her about. She thought back to last night's conversation.

"_Hey, are we still doing that business dinner tomorrow night?"_

_You know, umm, I've been thinking about that. You've been working hard lately, and uhh, I don't want to take up your Saturday."_

"_If you think there's stuff we should go over…"_

"_You're an incredible asset to this team and I want what's best for you. It's a weekend off, especially with a case like today."_

"_Okay… I'll see you Monday."_

"_Monday." _

Paige had seen a flicker of emotion cross Walter's face when she agreed to taking the weekend off. It was almost as if he was disappointed that she agreed so readily. Which was why this morning, she had decided to come to the garage and spend her day there. She knew they wouldn't be going to dinner since Sly called her last night to ask if she could help him prepare for his dinner with Megan. Sly mentioned how Walter had reservations in his name that he gave to him.

"I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens during lunch," she mused.

**Walter's POV**

After practically running up the stairs, Walter went into his room and took a deep breath. He was still in slight shock that he was going to be spending part of the day with Paige after cursing his luck that he drove her away from the garage until Monday. He quickly hurried to get ready. Now that he got a second chance, he didn't want to waste any time that could be used to be with Paige.

Walter stood in front of his mirror checking his appearance for the last time. He never really put in an effort to look nice, but he wanted to make sure that he looked good today. Even though it was just a home cooked lunch in the garage, Walter still wanted to make an effort because he knew Paige would appreciate it. Just like his ex said, he needed to make sure that they had a connection before he pursued anything and he wanted Paige to know that he cared about the things she cared about.

He casually strolled down the stairs just as Paige was finishing up lunch.

"Need any help with the cooking?" he asked.

"No thanks. I'm almost done. If you could just grab these plates and set the table that would be great. The food will be ready in 5 minutes." Paige said.

By the time Walter was done setting the table, Paige had brought the food over. They started eating, saying a few words here and there, and just basically enjoying each other's company. . They did manage to talk about some data entry protocols. It was mainly stuff Walter made up on the spot about filing procedures and what to include in the forms and reports. Paige for the most part, went along with this discussion, even though he could see from her smirk that she knew he was making this up as he went along.

After lunch, he insisted that he clean up, since she was the one who cooked such an amazing meal. Paige conceded and said that she would be by the living room. Walter quickly cleaned up and hastened to join her by the couch. He sat down near her on the couch, closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

"That was an amazing lunch Paige," he said with a boyish grin.

"I'm glad you liked it," Paige said. She then stated, almost nervously, "If you have work to do, I understand. You don't have to stay here with me. I was just going to hang out here until I have to help Sylvester with his dinner plans for today."

Walter stared at her. She looked away from him and slightly bent her head down. "Paige," he whispered. She looked up at him expectantly. "Ummm… exactly who does Sly have plans with? Or do I not want to know?"

Paige started giggling, the tension ebbing away from her. "I'm sure you have your suspicions Walt. All I have to say is, keep an open mind and just let him be for the time being. When he's ready, he'll tell you exactly who it is."

"Okay," Walter replied. He relaxed onto the couch. "Oh and about your earlier query," he started. "I don't have any work that can't be done later. I'd rather just spend my time relaxing with you right now."

The smile on Paige's face took his breath away. She looked so happy at his words and he felt pleased that he put that smile there. For the first time in a long while, Walter felt at ease around another person. Conversation was so effortless between him and Paige and he truly enjoyed spending time with her. It was not like his other relationships. She understood him and he didn't have to research conversation topics on the internet to maintain her interest. He knew he still had a long way to go before he could really feel connected to Paige, and he hoped that eventually, he would feel confident enough to tell her how he felt.

_**A/N: Update for next chapter: An unlikely source helps Walter progress his relationship with Paige. Who might it be? Reviews are much appreciated!**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright folks! Listen up. We have a new case that needs to be solved." Cabe barked as he entered the garage.

The team trooped over to the table, where they had Cabe tell them about their latest case involving valuable artifacts that were being stolen from the rich and resold on the black market. Homeland had received a tip as to the next house that was going to be robbed and it was up to them to update the security systems to catch the perpetrators, who seemed to evade all the security measures placed in a house. It seemed to be a pretty straightforward case and everyone grabbed their supplies and piled into the van to head off to the mansion.

Walter watched Paige as she gazed in amazement at the mansion they arrived at. He had to admit, he was pretty impressed too with the vast size of the place as well. He continued staring at her when they walked in. She was clearly impressed with the art that was hanging on the walls. He looked around and recognized a few pieces by Gaugin. He smiled to himself and walked over to her.

"Paige," he muttered softly.

Paige broke out of her reverie and glanced over at him.

Walter pointed to the painting he was staring at last. "It's 'The Painter of Sunflowers' by Gaugin. Thought you would appreciate it," he said.

Paige stared at Walter in shock. "Since when did you learn about art?" she asked disbelievingly.

Walter shrugged. "I just browsed through some artwork in the van on our way here. I thought it would help us if we could identify exactly what could possibly be stolen."

Paige gave Walter a small smile and walked over to the painting he had pointed to. Walter stared at her retreating form. He wasn't exactly being open when he gave Paige his reason. The truth was he learnt all there was to know about Gaugin and a few other similar artists he thought Paige liked in his spare time so that he could impress Paige with his knowledge. He still didn't see the point in art, but if it made her happy, he was willing to learn a little more about it so that he could hold a conversation with her.

Walter's thoughts were interrupted by a soft tapping by his elbow. He looked behind him and saw that it was none other than Hetty Lange.

"Hetty?" Walter asked.

Hetty gave him a rare smile. "Good to see you again Mr. O'Brien. Walk with me," she commanded.

Walter followed her out of the room. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Agent Gallo thought it would be wise if I was present today to offer my expertise in art. He thought I would be able to find a pattern in the type of artifacts being stolen so that we can predict what could be stolen next," she replied.

Walter nodded in agreement and said, "I uhh… should get going. We need to update the security system and install the cameras around the house."

Hetty watched as Walter hurried away towards where Paige was. She chuckled to herself. "Exactly like the Duke when he was smitten with Countess Stephanie," she muttered. "Couldn't leave her side even for a minute."

Within a few hours the team had installed all the security cameras and updated the system in the house. Now all that was left was to wait for the thieves to enter the house and an alarm would be triggered to the Homeland's officers staking out the place with an exact location of where the thieves were in the house. Hetty was able to identify the painting she thought was most likely to be stolen and extra care was given to protect it.

"Good work fellas, we'll take it from here. You guys can go back to the garage," Cabe ordered.

"Mr. O'Brien, a word please," Hetty called out.

Walter walked over to where Hetty was, gesturing to the team to head over to the van without him.

"A word of advice to you if I may," Hetty said. "Tell her how you feel."

"What? Who?" Walter asked nervously.

Hetty scoffed. "Even a blind man could see the love you have for Ms. Dineen. I've seen the two of you interact. It's obvious you two have a special connection."

There it was again. That word. Walter couldn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with the word connection. Sure, it was something he was striving to achieve with Paige, but everyone around him made it clear that he already had it with her. Why couldn't they see that he had so much more work to do emotionally before he could be with Paige? That based on his past relationships, his longest lasted only for 3 months?

Walter forced a fake smile on his face and nodded to Hetty in agreement. He wasn't going to argue with this woman. Hetty, as usual however, could see through him.

"Ahh, I see you're not convinced," she said.

Walter's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm trying to connect with her," he said desperately. "But I still have a long way to go before I become the person she deserves. It's not fair for her to be with someone as emotionally challenged as me."

"Did Ms. Dinnen tell you that she wanted you to change?" Hetty asked shrewdly.

"Well, no, I'm not trying to change myself like that" Walter started. "It's just, I don't have a great track record when it comes to relationships and I don't want to drive her away like the others due to my low EQ. She's different and more special than any of them."

"Exactly, Mr. O'Brien," Hetty said. "She's different. This means she knows you for who you are and has still stuck around with you and your team even after the fact. If she had been like any other person, she wouldn't have even stuck around to work with you for longer than a month. Whether you believe it or not, you and she share a connection. A connection based on trust, understanding and love."

Walter stared at Hetty, absorbing everything she said. Could he bring himself to finally accept that they would work out and tell her how he felt about her?

"Everything comes with a risk," Hetty continued. "But from the way you two interact, I feel like you shouldn't be worried about not connecting with Ms. Dineen."

Walter slowly nodded and gave Hetty a genuine smile of thanks.

"Off with you then!" Hetty said with a smirk. "Oh, and good luck Mr. O'Brien."

Walter muttered a good bye and slowly walked out of the mansion and towards the van. He had a lot to think about still, but whatever Hetty said was right. He knew it would be a risk, pursuing a relationship with Paige when it was clear about his track record of exes. But Paige was like no other woman he had encountered and he knew he would try his best to make it work for as long as possible.

Walter reached the van and sat next to Paige. She noticed his expression and could tell he was deep in thought. She put her hand over his to get his attention.

Walter didn't even stiffen at Paige's touch anymore. He turned his face towards her and saw her expression was slightly concerned.

"What's up Walter?" she asked. "You seemed deep in thought."

"Nothing," Walter replied with a smile. "Just thinking about some changes that need to be made eventually."

Paige just nodded and didn't question him any further. She knew that whatever it was, Walter would tell her when he was ready. She started to remove her hand from his, but he caught it and held on to her hand as they drove back to the garage. Paige smiled and settled back in her seat.

Walter snuck a glance over to her and saw that she was smiling and humming along to the radio. Something she only did when she was happy and content. Walter smiled at the thought. Hetty was right. They did share a deep connection of love and understanding. Walter knew that it was time to let Paige know how he felt. He just needed to find the perfect way to do it.

_**A/N: I couldn't resist bringing in Hetty to help Walter sort out his feelings! I hope you all like this chapter! Next chapter will be Walter expressing his feelings to Paige in a true genius fashion. As usual, please review! Thanks for reading!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Walter had really messed up big time. His interview with the reporter was not appreciated by the members of his team. He sulked upstairs, avoiding everyone as they prepared dinner. He knew he was partly at fault. He should have been more explicit about the involvement of his team when the reporter asked him. But she wanted to know more about him and his IQ and he just lost sight of everything else. He could still picture their looks of annoyance when they saw the broadcast and saw that it was basically a Walter O'Brien biography with a single mention of his "devoted team".

What was most unsettling to him was the look on Paige's face. She didn't look annoyed or frustrated like the others. Instead, she had a look of disappointment. Walter silently cursed to himself. He was making such progress with strengthening his relationship with Paige and now she was disappointed in him. He could hear laughter downstairs and smells coming from the kitchen. His stomach grumbled at the thought of food, but he knew he was not welcome downstairs.

* * *

During dinner, Paige kept glancing towards the loft where Walter was. As soon as their case was over that day, he had gone up and holed himself there. She tried getting the others to talk to him, but they were still a bit annoyed about the interview and refused. Paige knew that Walter didn't do it on purpose. That was just how he functioned. She knew he regretted it now and was avoiding all of them and she felt bad. As soon as dinner was over, she grabbed a plate of food for him and went upstairs.

"Walter?" she called out softly.

Walter was working on some programming with his headphones on so he couldn't hear her. Paige set the plate down and walked over to where he sat. She placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Walter jumped slightly at the contact and turned around to see who it was.

"Paige?" he asked uncertainly.

"You didn't come down for dinner and I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some food," she said.

"I didn't think I'd be welcome downstairs," Walter mumbled looking down.

A small smile crept on Paige's face. Walter looked like a little kid who had to have a timeout with his head down and long face. She leaned over and cupped his chin so that he could look at her.

"Look, we both know what you did was wrong," Paige said. "The others deserve some recognition too. They look up to you, Walter. They were just annoyed that you didn't think of them or include them. I'm sure they'll get over it with time. Just keep apologizing."

Walter sighed and nodded. Apologies didn't come easily to him, but if that's what Paige wanted him to do, then he would do it. Paige smiled in satisfaction and went over to retrieve Walter's plate of food. She watched as he devoured the food. She would never get tired of watching him. As much as she tried to push her feelings for Walter aside, in the end she always ended up loving him even more. She was overjoyed to see the improvement he had with his EQ and she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it when he initiated contact. As the days passed, Paige was getting more and more hope that maybe Walter could eventually feel the same way about her as she did about him.

"Paige?" Walter said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry I called you a super nanny."

Paige pursed her lips and tried not to laugh. Initially she had been annoyed when she heard that term being used to describe her, but luckily she saw the humor in the situation. Still, she wasn't going to let Walter off the hook that easily.

With a straight face she said, "Well Walter, usually nannies leave their job once the children they're taking care of are grown up enough. Maybe it's time I evaluate just how much this team has grown up and make a decision about how much longer I should stay."

Walter dropped his plate with a crash and stood up suddenly. "Wai-What?" he asked dumbfounded. This couldn't be happening. He started panicking, trying to think of ways to get Paige to stay and not leave.

Paige was startled when the plate dropped and realized immediately that she had taken things too far.

"Walter," she said, trying to calm him down. "Walter, shhh calm down. I was just kidding. Walter… look at me. I'm not leaving this team. I was joking."

Walter closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He grabbed Paige by her arms and pulled her towards him.

"Please," he rasped. "Don't make jokes like that. The team needs you. I need you. We'll always need you."

"Sorry," Paige whispered.

Walter realized how close they were standing and let go of her, running his hands through his hair. It was now or never. He had to tell her how he felt. Even though she was joking when she said she was going to leave, he needed her to know that without her, he would never be able to function. He went over to his desk and pulled out the gift he had been working on for Paige.

"I… umm… have been meaning to… uhh give you s…something," Walter stammered. He cleared his throat and continued, trying to steady his voice. "You're a very special person and I know I don't say this enough, but Scorpion wouldn't be where we are today if it wasn't for you. You've uhh… you've helped each of us grow and become better people. I umm… especially, would be lost in this world without your guidance. I'm not really good at speeches like this, so I uhh… hope this gift better explains how much you mean to me."

With that, Walter thrust the gift into her hands and waited nervously for her to open it. Paige took the gift in her hands and slowly started to unwrap it. She was touched at the speech Walter gave, but had no idea where he was going with the gift. She didn't dare hope for the obvious reason because she didn't want to set herself up for disappointment.

Walter waited with bated breath as he saw her finally tear the last of the wrapping paper away. He heard a soft gasp come from Paige as her trembling hands held the gift in front of her. It was the most beautiful locket that she had even seen. The carvings on the heart were so delicate and she was mesmerized by the amount of detail in the craftsmanship. She opened the locket and tears formed in her eyes when she saw what was inside. On one side was a picture Walter and Ralph that was taken during their Christmas party, but one the other side, instead of a picture, there was a little chip with a black button.

She looked up curiously to Walter, not understanding why that was there.

"It's an umm… a wireless transmitter," he said nervously. One push of the button and it sends a signal to my phone altering me. You're… you're always there for me and I just want you to know that I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Paige looked at the man in front of her. Whoever said that Walter O'Brien had no EQ needed to get their facts straight. This was the most thoughtful gift anyone had given her and it allowed her to realize how much she meant to Walter.

"There's also an inscription on the back," Walter said apprehensively.

Paige turned the locket over in her hands and saw the inscription. 'Tá tú mo shaol, mo ghrá , mo gach rud'

"It means… umm… 'You are my life, my love, my everything,'" Walter explained softly.

Paige stared at Walter in shock. Did she just hear Walter say that he loved her? Paige really hoped that she wasn't dreaming and if she was, then she hoped that she never woke up.

She realized that Walter was staring at her expectantly, so she slowly brought the locket to her neck to put on and smiled as she saw Walter watching her every move. Walter let go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding when he saw the locket resting on Paige's neck. She walked closer to Walter and stared up at him with a shy smile.

Walter gulped as she threaded her hands through his hair brought his face close to hers. She slowly tilted his head to the side and brought her lips to his ear.

"I love you too Walter," Paige whispered.

Walter slowly brought his hands to cradle Paige's face and wiped away the tears that were forming. Paige closed her eyes at his touch and gave a small sigh. Walter slowly brought his face down to meet hers and brought their lips together. They shared a sweet chaste kiss before Walter pulled back to see her reaction. Paige opened her eyes and stared at Walter with an expression he couldn't discern. She smirked and brought their lips together for a longer and deeper kiss. Walter slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her closer as Paige's hands clung onto his hair.

They continued kissing for what seemed like hours and finally broke apart when air became a necessity. Walter pulled away from Paige and lifted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes.

"I know I'm not so great at relationships," he started. "But you make me want to try harder Paige. I want this to work. I want us to work. And I'm willing to do anything, change anything to make this connection last long."

Paige smiled tenderly at Walter. "Just do what you always do Walter," Paige said. "I fell in love with the guy who has a 197 IQ and can be exasperating at times and makes me want to smack him. I wouldn't want you in any other way."

Walter smiled and kissed Paige again. Nothing was certain and he didn't know how his and Paige's relationship would be 5 or even 10 years from now. The only thing he knew for sure was that he never wanted to let go of the woman he was holding in his arms.

_**A/N: So this was probably more OOC than my other chapters, but I had fun writing it either way. Can't wait for the new episode on Monday! As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated! Let me know if I should continue with the story or end it here. Thanks for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

'_**Going South' was awesome! Loved the Sly and Megan romance! Not really much Walter and Paige scenes, but I think the episode as a whole really showed a lot of character development! Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could pull from this episode to tie in to this chapter, so this is just a random, fluffy chapter. Enjoy!**_

It was a lazy Thursday afternoon and the team was working on their separate projects. There would be no case for them that weekend owing to the fact that Cabe was on a mini-vacation. He told the team to take the weekend off and took off to spend time with his daughter.

Walter was upstairs in the loft working with Cabe Jr when he heard the telltale signs of Paige's heels coming up the stairs. He smiled as she reached the landing, but she just looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression.

"Is there anything wrong?" Walter asked.

"I was looking through my calendar and I saw that tomorrow night has been marked as busy and all it says is dinner for two at Escala with you," Paige said bewilderedly. "Care to tell me what that means?"

"I was going to take you out tomorrow night for a date," Walter said puzzled. He was starting to get worried now. Did Paige not like the restaurant anymore?

Paige just stared at Walter and then lightly chuckled. "When were you going to tell me about this date?" she asked.

Walter was really confused now. "I did. By marking it down on your calendar, I gave you a notice well in advance with the timing and location. It seemed to be the most efficient way."

Paige giggled and shook her head. She moved over to Walter and hooked her arms around his neck. "Oh Walter," she sighed.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked worriedly. "I thought since we kissed, it seemed valid that I take you out on a date as the next step and you have mentioned how much you like the place, so I…" he trailed off, nervous.

Paige leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his lips. Walter relaxed a bit and moved his hands to her waist, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. They stayed that way for a few more minutes before Paige pulled away.

"There's nothing wrong with the idea of a date Walter," Paige began. "However, normally one asks another person face-to-face on a date rather then put it in their calendar. You never asked me out for this dinner."

"Well, I knew you'd say yes, so this seemed more efficient." Walter countered. His confidence started to waver a bit once he said that. "You would've said yes, right?" he asked, slightly concerned.

"Of course I would say yes Walt," Paige said, rolling her eyes. "It's just I would've liked it if you asked me out in person."

Walter nodded, trying to understand this from Paige's perspective. "Noted," he said. "Next time, I'll ask you out in person, and then mark it down on your calendar for you."

Paige smiled and pulled Walter in for another kiss. "I love you, you silly genius," she mumbled against his lips.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a voice asked from the landing.

Walter and Paige broke apart and turned to see Toby standing by the stairs with a devilish grin on his face.

"This can't be another flirting lesson, so it must be the real deal," Toby said mischievously. "I guess Happy and Cabe owe me $200 each for this one!"

"You bet on us getting together?" Paige asked incredulously, blushing from embarrassment.

"Why yes Ms. Dineen," Toby said pompously. "Happy bet that it would take Walt here another year to finally get his head out of the dirt and make a move. In fact she had money on the fact that you would make the move on Walter first. Cabe bet that he'd eventually have to lock Walter up and threaten him to get his feelings out. I, on the other hand, had faith in Mr. O'Brien here that he would step up and tell you how he felt within a couple of months. It looks like I was right." Toby said triumphantly.

Walter rolled his eyes while Paige stood openmouthed.

"Alright you crazy shrink! Where'd you hide my wrench?" Happy yelled from downstairs.

"That would be my cue to leave the garage," Toby said, winking. "She totally digs me. Otherwise why else would she always jump to the conclusion that it's me?" With that, Toby bolted down the stairs, holding onto his hat.

Paige sighed and fell into Walter's embrace. "He's never going to let us live it down is he?"

"I could always threaten him with his paycheck," Walter muttered darkly.

Paige giggled and hugged Walter tighter. "Hmm as much as I would love to stay like this, I need to go and pick Ralph up from school. You want to come with me?"

"Actually," Walter started. "You go ahead. I have a little bit of work to complete here. I'll see you two when you're back at the garage."

Paige nodded and gave Walter a last kiss before walking towards the stairs. Walter waited until he heard her reach the ground floor and made a dash towards his laptop. He needed to do more research on the proper etiquette of dating before tomorrow night.

_**A/N: As usual, please review! Thanks for reading! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thanks for all the reviews and follows! Here's the next chapter! I feel like it's**__** getting to be more OOC, but still, hope you enjoy it!**_

Paige woke up in the morning with the biggest smile on her face. Her date with Walter last night was perfect. He took her to Escala like promised and they had a wonderful time there. The night was spent talking about everything. Walter opened up to Paige and told her more about his life back in Ireland and Paige in turn spoke of her childhood and the moments of when Ralph was a baby. Paige was careful not to mention Drew in any way or form. He was in the past and she knew he was still a touchy topic with Walter.

However, today was the last day that Drew was going to be in LA, and he had planned a small family outing; just the three of them. Paige had yet to mention this to Walter. It was Saturday, which meant that she wasn't expected in the garage, but she knew Walter would probably want to hear from her and she didn't want to have to lie about where she would be. The happy bubble she was in when she woke up deflated a little as she got ready and started making breakfast. After waking Ralph up and telling him to go get ready, she picked up her phone and called Walter.

"Hello?" Walter said groggily.

"Walter? It's me Paige," she said. "Were you still sleeping?"

"Oh I went to bed really late last night," Walter said sheepishly. He hoped that Paige wouldn't ask why. After the date, Walter was on cloud nine. He had an amazing time with Paige and he got to know more about her and Ralph's life before they joined Scorpion. After dropping her back at her apartment, he went over to the beach and sat there reliving every moment of that night. By the time he got home, it was 4 in the morning.

"How about you guys come over to the garage?" Walter said, trying to divert the topic. "We can go get some breakfast and then maybe go to the museum or something."

This was what Paige was afraid of. Steeling herself, she said, "That sounds nice Walter, but today is Drew's last day here in LA and he planned for the Ralph and I to spend the day with him. I was calling you to tell you that I would probably not be coming to the garage today."

Walter didn't speak for a few moments. Then he said emotionlessly, "Oh… Thanks for informing me. I guess I'll see you Monday."

"It's not like I wouldn't rather spend the day with you Walter," Paige said tersely. She didn't like Walter's tone. He was definitely upset and shutting her out by suppressing his EQ.

"Then tell Drew you can't make it," Walter interrupted. He didn't understand. If Paige didn't want to spend time with Drew, then why was she doing it?

"It's not that simple," Paige said sighing. "He's still Ralph's father and I do want them to have a good relationship. Plus it's his last day and I couldn't refuse."

"I have to go now. Toby is calling me." Walter said coolly, not allowing Paige to explain further. He quickly hung up the phone before he made some snide remark about Drew and plopped back down on his bed. Every time Drew was mentioned, a fire brewed in the pit of his stomach and he felt the urge to punch something. He didn't agree with Paige's view on Drew being a part of Ralph's life, but for her sake and the promise he made to her, he stayed out of it and didn't offer his opinion.

Nevertheless, he still felt the rage bubbling up at the thought of Paige and Ralph spending the whole day with him. His relationship with Paige was still very new and he wasn't comfortable with the idea about her spending the whole day with her ex-husband. Walter sighed. He knew he should call Paige back to apologize for hanging up abruptly, but he needed to cool off a bit before he did that.

* * *

Paige stared at the phone in her hands. She couldn't believe that Walter hung up on her. She knew Drew was a sore topic for him, but she had thought that he knew her well enough to trust her judgment.

"Well fine then," she muttered darkly. "If he doesn't want to talk, then I can't do anything to convince him otherwise now." She went about finishing up cooking breakfast and getting Ralph ready.

* * *

Walter couldn't concentrate. It was 6 in the evening already and he hadn't received a single call or text from Paige. He constantly found himself checking the GPS tracker on her phone after hacking into it and as far as he could tell, the three of them were at the beach. Before that he saw them at the movies, at a restaurant, and moving around Hollywood. Walter really hoped Paige would drop by the garage after her outing or at least call him once she got home. Walter was tempted to call her many times throughout the day, but he stopped himself each time because he didn't know what he would say. He sighed heavily and continued to try to work with Cabe Jr.

It was around 10 when Walter decided to call it quits for the day and head for bed. He needed to catch up on the lost sleep from last night and it looked like Paige wasn't going to talk to him. He had given up checking her location constantly, knowing that it was only going to make him angrier if she was still out with Drew. Walter changed into his pajamas and slid under the covers. Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone started buzzing. He looked at the screen and saw that it was Paige calling.

Walter quickly pressed call and eagerly said, "Hello?"

"Are you ready to talk now or should I call back some other time?" Paige asked coolly.

Walter gulped a bit. He wasn't used to hearing Paige angry. She had a high tolerance level when it came to him and their team and she was one that lost her temper easily. He was treading on dangerous waters now, so he carefully answered, "I'm ready to talk."

"Good. So come down and open the door," Paige said and cut the call.

Walter stared at his phone in shock. Did Paige just ask him to come downstairs and open the door? He quickly jumped from bed and padded down the stairs. He opened the garage door and he saw Paige standing outside looking disheveled and annoyed, carrying a sleeping Ralph.

"Here, let me take him" said Walter, ushering her inside and taking Ralph from her. He carried Ralph upstairs to his bedroom and tucked him in. Still shocked that Paige had come all the way late at night to talk to him, he went downstairs. Paige was still standing in the middle of the garage with her arms crossed on her chest.

Walter steered Paige over to the couch and sat her down. He joined her and ran his hands through his hair. Paige just stared at him rigidly, watching him nervously fidget under her gaze.

"I want to know," Paige said after a few minutes. Walter just stared at her. What did she want to know?

"I want to know why you're acting like this," Paige continued. "I woke up this morning with the biggest smile on my face, reliving every moment of our date and within a few minutes of talking to you that happiness came crashing down." Paige stopped at stared at Walter, with tears filling her eyes. "Do you not trust my judgment?" she whispered.

Walter sighed and grabbed her hands. "It's… it's not that Paige. I trust you explicitly. I… I just, don't like the idea of Drew being around you or Ralph. I c…can take c…care of both of you better than him."

Paige's eyes softened and she placed her hands on Walter's face. "Oh, Walter," she whispered. "You need to know that Ralph and I are forever grateful that we are in your life and you are the first person we would come to if we needed anything. But you also need to know that I want Ralph to have a proper relationship with his father. I don't want him growing up not having any memories of him. That doesn't mean we need you around any less though. I know you have some issues with Drew, but I can assure you, he is my past. You are my present and future, Walter."

With that Paige lightly pressed her lips against Walter's and gave him a tender kiss. She moved until she was straddling him and started placing feather light kisses on his jaw. Walter groaned and enjoyed the feeling of Paige's lips for a few more moments before pulling away.

"I'll try harder to be more accepting of Drew," he said looking into her eyes. "I still don't approve of his choices and will probably never trust him, but I trust you and I'll always be there to support you."

"I think someone just had another EQ breakthrough," Paige said smacking his cheek playfully. "Although don't think that you're off the hook Mr. O'Brien. You still have a lot of making up to do."

Walter grinned mischievously and suddenly tightened his grip on Paige and stood up. Paige gasped at Walter's sudden change in behavior and tightened her hold around him as he led her upstairs to the guest bedroom. He plopped her down onto the bed and took her face in his hands.

"I love you Paige Dineen," he whispered quietly.

Paige's eyes filled with unshed tears and he brought her face closer for a searing kiss. Sleep could wait another night for Walter. He had a lot of making up to do tonight.

_**Don't forget to review! They are much appreciated! :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

Ralph was in Maine with Drew for his spring break, so after her exam, Paige drove back to the garage to check on Walter before heading home. She didn't want to let Walter out of her sight until she was sure he was alright.

"How could he do something so stupid?" she muttered as she parked near the garage and got out.

She kept mumbling to herself while putting her bag on her desk and jumped when she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her into a hug.

"Hey," said Walter "How was the exam?"

"Good," Paige replied curtly. She broke away from Walter's embrace and walked over to the kitchen.

Walter followed her, puzzled by her actions. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked worried.

"Oh no, you did nothing wrong Walter. People normally grab poisonous snakes and make them bite their arm to check whether they got the right one or not," Paige replied sarcastically and turned her back to him.

Walter smiled slightly as he recognized the sarcasm. He knew she was worried about him and was going to be until he was better.

"It was for the greater good," he replied. "We were able to prevent another World War from occurring."

"At the cost of your life though!" Paige said turning around, her voice rising slightly. Tears started forming in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before they could fall. "You can't even begin to understand how worried I was," she whispered.

"I…"

"Did you even think for a moment what would've happened if you hadn't made it?" she said. "How would Scorpion function? How do you think Ralph would've taken it? How do you think I'd be able to live through it?"

By this time Paige was yelling and tears were falling freely down her face. Her arms wrapped around her torso and she was rocking back and forth, trying to calm herself down.

Walter's heart constricted when he saw Paige crying. He clearly didn't think things through when he forced the snake to bite him and he was beginning to realize how much of an emotional turmoil it must have been for everyone. Hesitating slightly, he edged towards Paige and wrapped her in a hug. He felt her sag into his form and clutch tightly onto his back, willing him to not let go. Walter buried his face in her curls and breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

Finally Paige's tears subsided and she broke away from Walter's embrace. She cupped his face with her hand and pushed away some errant curls from his face.

"Promise me you'll think before you act next time you do something dangerous," she said sniffling.

Walter internally sighed in relief. He thought Paige was going to ask him to never do anything dangerous and with their line of work, that was a promise he never would be able to keep.

"I promise to evaluate the situation thoroughly before taking any action," he replied.

Paige nodded and gave him a chaste kiss. "I should head back to my apartment," she said tiredly.

"Stay the night," Walter said. "You've been through a lot today and I don't want you driving back this late at night."

Paige hesitated a moment before nodding. She was still mad at Walter for his reckless decision, but she knew he was right. She was exhausted after their day and she also wanted to monitor Walter to make sure he was completely alright. She followed Walter up the stairs and into his room. He gave her some of his clothes to change into and soon they were settled in bed.

Paige placed her head on Walter's chest and wrapped her arms around him. "Will Scorpion ever get a case that doesn't have us acting like superheroes?" Paige murmured.

"Probably not," Walter replied. "In fact due to the nature of the cases that we've solved previously, Merrick and Cabe will be giving us some of the harder cases to solve."

"I thought so," Paige sighed dejectedly. She untangled herself from Walter and shifted so that she was lying on her side facing away from him. Walter gulped and scooted over so that he was closer to her.

"Listen, I promised to evaluate every decision I make before I act on it," he said, hoping that he sounded reassuring. "Don't worry."

Paige turned around and cupped Walter's cheeks. "I'm always going to worry Walter," she said. "About you and everyone else on this team. What if…"

Paige sniffled a little and continued. "What if the next case comes along, you do something reckless and I lose you forever? Call me selfish, but I want to spend more time with you and don't plan on letting go of you soon."

Walter looked down at Paige's tear-stained face and smiled. He never would've thought he would find someone who cared so much about him. He needed to do something to reassure Paige that he wouldn't leave her. He leaned forward and gave her a deep kiss, trying to tell her without words how much she meant to him too.

Once they broke apart, Paige cuddled closer to Walter. "I'm sorry for being so emotional," she said. "I just want you to be careful and I trust you to always make the right decision."

"Will you and Ralph move in with me?" Walter blurted out.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews much appreciated!**_


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